BRITISH STANDARD

BS EN 322:1993

Wood-based panels Determination of moisture content

The European Standard EN 322:1993 has the status of a British Standard

UDC 674.815:620.168.334

BS EN 322:1993

Cooperating organizations
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN), under whose supervision this European Standard was prepared, comprises the national standards organizations of the following countries: Austria Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Luxembourg Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Oesterreichisches Normungsinstitut Institut belge de normalisation Dansk Standardiseringsraad Suomen Standardisoimisliito, r.y. Association franaise de normalisation Deutsches Institut fr Normung e.V. Hellenic Organization for Standardization Technological Institute of Iceland National Standards Authority of Ireland Ente Nazionale Italiano di Unificazione Inspection du Travail et des Mines Nederlands Normalisatie-instituut Norges Standardiseringsforbund Instituto Portugus da Qualidade Asociacin Espaola de Normalizacin y Certificacin Standardiseringskommissionen i Sverige Association suisse de normalisation British Standards Institution

This British Standard, having been prepared under the direction of the Technical Sector Board for Building and Civil Engineering (B/-), was published under the authority of the Standards Board and comes into effect on 15 April 1993 BSI 07-1999 The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard: Committee reference B/541 Draft for comment 90/11135 DC ISBN 0 580 21057 X

Amendments issued since publication Amd. No. Date Comments

BS EN 322:1993

Contents
Cooperating organizations National foreword Foreword Text of EN 322 National annex NA (informative) Committees responsible Page Inside front cover ii 2 3 Inside back cover

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BS EN 322:1993

National foreword
This British Standard has been prepared under the direction of the Technical Sector Board for Building and Civil Engineering and is the English language version of EN 322:1993, Wood-based panels Determination of moisture content, published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). EN 322 was produced as a result of international discussion in which the UK took an active part. The principle of the method is technically equivalent to A.5 of BS 1142:1989 Specification for fibre building boards and to clause 9 of BS 5669 Particleboard Part 1:1989 Methods of sampling, conditioning and test, and to Appendix A of BS 6556 Plywood Part 5:1985 Specification for moisutre content, all of which will be withdrawn in due course. A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application. Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations.

Summary of pages This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii, the EN title page, pages 2 to 4, an inside back cover and a back cover. This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the inside front cover. ii
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EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPENNE EUROPISCHE NORM

UDC 674.815:620.168.334 Descriptors: Wooden boards, fibre boards, plywood, determination, humidity

EN 322
February 1993

English version

Wood-based panels Determination of moisture content

Panneaux base de bois Dtermination de lhumidit

Holzwerkstoffe Bestimmung des Feuchtegehaltes

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1992-12-15. CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member. This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions. CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization Comit Europen de Normalisation Europisches Komitee fr Normung Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels 1993 Copyright reserved to CEN members Ref. No. EN 322:1993 E

EN 322:1993

Foreword
This European Standard was prepared by Working Group 4 Common test methods (Secretariat: United Kingdom) of Technical Committee CEN/TC 112 Wood-based panels (Secretariat: Germany). The text is based on ISO 9425:1989 which has been elaborated with European participation. This Standard is one of a series of standards specifying methods of test for determining dimensions and properties of wood-based panels. No existing European Standard is superseded. This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by August 1993, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by December 1994. In accordance with the Common CEN/CENELEC Rules the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Contents
Foreword 1 Scope 2 Normative references 3 Principle 4 Apparatus 5 Test pieces 6 Procedure 7 Expression of results 8 Estimation of board moisture content 9 Test report Annex A (informative) Bibliography Page 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4

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EN 322:1993

1 Scope
This European Standard specifies a method for determining the moisture content of test pieces of wood-based panels. Such result may be used to estimate the moisture content of wood-based panels according to EN 326-1.

6 Procedure
6.1 Weighing before drying Weigh each test piece in the as-sampled state to an accuracy of 0,01 g. This initial weighing shall be carried out immediately after sampling or where this is impossible, precautions shall be taken to avoid changes in the moisture content of the test piece after sampling. 6.2 Drying Place the test pieces in the drying oven (4.2) at a temperature of (103 2) C until constant mass has been reached. Constant mass is considered to be reached when the results of two successive weighing operations, carried out at an interval of 6 h, do not differ by more than 0,1 % of the mass of the test piece. 6.3 Weighing after drying After the test pieces have been cooled to approximately room temperature in the desiccator (4.3), weigh each test piece to an accuracy of 0,01 g, rapidly enough to avoid an increase in moisture content greater than 0,1 %.

2 Normative references
This European Standard incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this European Standard, only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the latest edition of the publication referred to applies. EN 326-1, Wood-based panels Sampling, cutting and inspection Part 1: Sampling and cutting of test pieces and expression of test results1).

3 Principle
Determination, by weighing, of the loss of mass of each test piece between its state at the time of sampling and its state after drying to constant mass at (103 2) C, and calculation of this loss of mass as a percentage of the mass of the test piece after drying; these results are used to estimate the moisture content of whole boards.

7 Expression of results
Calculate the moisture content H of each test piece, as a percentage by mass to the nearest 0,1 %, in accordance with the following formula: m H m0 H = ----------------------- 100 m0 where mH m0 is the initial mass of the test piece, in grams is the mass of the test piece after drying, in grams

4 Apparatus
4.1 Balance Balance, scale interval 0,01 g. 4.2 Drying oven Ventilated drying oven, capable of being controlled at (103 2) C. 4.3 Desiccator Silica gel containing a desiccant, to maintain the air as close as possible to the absolutely dry condition.

8 Estimation of board moisture content

The moisture content of a board shall be obtained by calculating the arithmetic mean of the moisture contents of all the test pieces taken from the same board and shall be expressed as a percentage to one decimal place.

5 Test pieces
5.1 Sampling and cutting Sampling and cutting of the test pieces shall be carried out in accordance with EN 326-1. Test pieces shall cover the full thickness of the board. 5.2 Dimensions The test piece shall have a minimum initial mass of 20 g: shape and size are unimportant. The test pieces shall be free from loose splinters and sawdust.
1) At

9 Test report
As described in EN 326-1.

present at the draft stage

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EN 322:1993

Annex A (informative) Bibliography

EN 309, Particleboards Definition and classification. EN 313-1, Plywood Classification and terminology Part 1: Classification. EN 316, Wood fibreboards Definitions, classification and symbols. EN 633, Cement-bonded particleboards Definition and classification2). ISO 9425, Wood-based panels Determination of moisture content.

2) At

present at the draft stage

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BS EN 322:1993

National annex NA (informative) Committees responsible

The United Kingdom participation in the preparation of this European Standard was entrusted by the Technical Sector Board for Building and Civil Engineering (B/-) to Technical Committee B/541, upon which the following bodies were represented: American Plywood Association Association of British Plywood and Veneer Manufacturers British Woodworking Federation Chartered Institute of Building Co-ordinator for Timber and Timber Products Council of the Forest Industries of British Columbia Department of the Environment (Timber Division Building Research Establishment) Fibre Building Board Organisation (FIDOR) Finnish Plywood International Flat Roofing Contractors Advisory Board Forestry Commission Furniture Industry Research Association Institution of Structural Engineers National Federation of Roofing Contractors National House-building Council National Panel Products Association Royal Institute of British Architects Timber Research and Development Association Timber Trade Federation United Kingdom and Ireland Particleboard Association Coopted member

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BS EN 322:1993

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